Gharghavank
Encyclopedia
Gharghavank is located on the outskirts of the village of Zoravan
on the lower slopes of Mount Ara in the Kotayk Province of Armenia
. To get to the church, turn left immediately after the small cemetery before reaching the village and go up the dirt road that follows closely next to the cemetery grounds. At the fork, keep following left up past the cemetery along a poorly maintained dirt road. After traveling some distance, the church will be perched upon the hillside to the right. Gharghavank may actually be seen from the main highway in the distance, but is hardly distinguishable from the other ruins of more modern structures scattered nearby. A short walk up the hill leads to the church and an ancient cemetery a little further up the hill.
of the 13th century, Gharghavank was built between the years 661 to 685 by Prince Grigor Mamikonian. The church is a centrally-planned aisled tetraconch
type with eight semicircular apse
s radiating from the interior octagonal space. Exteriors of the eight apse walls alternate with eight rectilinear panels containing wide triangular niche
s which divide each of the apses. The thick apse walls and pendentive
s supported a drum
and cupola
above. Most of the drum and the cupola have since collapsed. Fragments of the geometric decoration may be seen around the premises.
There are two portals that lead into the structure. On the semi-circular lintel of one, is carved a cruciform
khachkar
design. In the corners of the triangular niches on the exterior, are columnar decorations. Other designs may be seen around the saddles above the windows, the eaves
and cornice
s, and decorative features that were once around the portals. Foliage relief may be seen around the windows, while geometric relief is along the eaves and cornices. There are also traces of painted relief
on the interior of the church. Decorative relief found on the church resembles that at the 7th century Church of Zvartnots
at Etchmiadzin
.
Restoration work was done to the north side of the church in 1948 and again in later years. Relatively recent photographs may be seen that show only approximately half of the original structure intact. Some rebar may be seen along the area where the drum once stood.
. Only a semicircular apse remains standing with some of the roofing still intact. A sundial
style design is subtly embedded in the interior portion above the apse at the apex of the half-dome, and a single window peers out below. A cemetery is located nearby, with a few khachkar
s that remain preserved. Many only have a base stone where they once stood.
Zoravan
Zoravan is a town in the Kotayk Province of Armenia.- References :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
on the lower slopes of Mount Ara in the Kotayk Province of Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
. To get to the church, turn left immediately after the small cemetery before reaching the village and go up the dirt road that follows closely next to the cemetery grounds. At the fork, keep following left up past the cemetery along a poorly maintained dirt road. After traveling some distance, the church will be perched upon the hillside to the right. Gharghavank may actually be seen from the main highway in the distance, but is hardly distinguishable from the other ruins of more modern structures scattered nearby. A short walk up the hill leads to the church and an ancient cemetery a little further up the hill.
Zoravar Church
According to the Armenian historian Vardan AreveltsiVardan Areveltsi
Vardan Areveltsi was a thirteenth century Armenian historian, geographer, philosopher and translator. In addition to establishing numerous schools and monasteries, he also left behind a rich contribution to Armenian literature...
of the 13th century, Gharghavank was built between the years 661 to 685 by Prince Grigor Mamikonian. The church is a centrally-planned aisled tetraconch
Tetraconch
A tetraconch, from the Greek for "four shells", is a building, usually a church or other religious building, with four apses, one in each direction, usually of equal size. The basic ground plan of the building is therefore a Greek cross...
type with eight semicircular apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
s radiating from the interior octagonal space. Exteriors of the eight apse walls alternate with eight rectilinear panels containing wide triangular niche
Niche (architecture)
A niche in classical architecture is an exedra or an apse that has been reduced in size, retaining the half-dome heading usual for an apse. Nero's Domus Aurea was the first semi-private dwelling that possessed rooms that were given richly varied floor plans, shaped with niches and exedras;...
s which divide each of the apses. The thick apse walls and pendentive
Pendentive
A pendentive is a constructive device permitting the placing of a circular dome over a square room or an elliptical dome over a rectangular room. The pendentives, which are triangular segments of a sphere, taper to points at the bottom and spread at the top to establish the continuous circular or...
s supported a drum
Tholobate
A tholobate or drum, in architecture, is the upright part of a building on which a dome is raised. It is generally in the shape of a cylinder or a polygonal prism....
and cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
above. Most of the drum and the cupola have since collapsed. Fragments of the geometric decoration may be seen around the premises.
There are two portals that lead into the structure. On the semi-circular lintel of one, is carved a cruciform
Cruciform
Cruciform means having the shape of a cross or Christian cross.- Cruciform architectural plan :This is a common description of Christian churches. In Early Christian, Byzantine and other Eastern Orthodox forms of church architecture this is more likely to mean a tetraconch plan, a Greek cross,...
khachkar
Khachkar
A khachkar or khatchkar is a carved, cross-bearing, memorial stele covered with rosettes and other botanical motifs. Khachkars are characteristic of Medieval Christian Armenian art found in Armenia.-Description:...
design. In the corners of the triangular niches on the exterior, are columnar decorations. Other designs may be seen around the saddles above the windows, the eaves
Eaves
The eaves of a roof are its lower edges. They usually project beyond the walls of the building to carry rain water away.-Etymology:"Eaves" is derived from Old English and is both the singular and plural form of the word.- Function :...
and cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
s, and decorative features that were once around the portals. Foliage relief may be seen around the windows, while geometric relief is along the eaves and cornices. There are also traces of painted relief
Relief
Relief is a sculptural technique. The term relief is from the Latin verb levo, to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is thus to give the impression that the sculpted material has been raised above the background plane...
on the interior of the church. Decorative relief found on the church resembles that at the 7th century Church of Zvartnots
Zvartnots
Zvartnots |translit.]]: , meaning celestial angels) is a town located in the Armenian province of Armavir, about 10 km west from Yerevan, approximately half way to Ejmiatsin....
at Etchmiadzin
Ejmiatsin, Armenia
Vagharshapat , commonly known as Ejmiatsin in Eastern Armenian and Echmiadzin in Western Armenian , is the fourth-largest city in Armenia and the spiritual centre of the Armenians, as it is the seat of the Catholicos of All Armenians, the head of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church...
.
Restoration work was done to the north side of the church in 1948 and again in later years. Relatively recent photographs may be seen that show only approximately half of the original structure intact. Some rebar may be seen along the area where the drum once stood.
Funeral Chapel and Cemetery
A short distance from the church are the remains of another structure that served as a funeral chapelChapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
. Only a semicircular apse remains standing with some of the roofing still intact. A sundial
Sundial
A sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow from its style onto a surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day. The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, often a thin rod or a...
style design is subtly embedded in the interior portion above the apse at the apex of the half-dome, and a single window peers out below. A cemetery is located nearby, with a few khachkar
Khachkar
A khachkar or khatchkar is a carved, cross-bearing, memorial stele covered with rosettes and other botanical motifs. Khachkars are characteristic of Medieval Christian Armenian art found in Armenia.-Description:...
s that remain preserved. Many only have a base stone where they once stood.